I read the Richard Howard translation. My iffy French is not
up to the original.
Mark Harris
On 10/21/07, Patrick King <
abrasax93@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Did you read the original or a translation?
If
> translation, which one? I don't read French, myself
as
> yet but have been told this makes a
dramatic
> difference to reading Robbe-Grillet as it does
reading
> Baudelaire or Rimbaud. RG was stylistically
influenced
> by both Hammett & Chandler, but he brings his
own
> French twist to the style and consequently is
taken
> much more seriously by critics than either of
his
> mentors. I, too, find reading him in English
redundant
> and self indulgent. Someday soon I'll put a
real
> effort on French and see what the excitment is
about.
>
> Patrick King
> --- Michael Robison <
miker_zspider@yahoo.com
<miker_zspider%40yahoo.com>>
> wrote:
>
> > Just finished this novel by Robbe-Grillet. It's
a
> > short book and not much happens, repeating a
few
> > scenes over and over again with small
variations.
> > It's difficult to interpret the continuous
repeating
> > of scenes as much more than artistic
> > self-indulgence,
> > but the scenes do carry a solid literary
effect.
> > It's
> > definitely well into the dissolution of self
that is
> > so popular in postmodernism, and it's the
most
> > successful effort in that direction that I've
read.
> > It was written well before the postmodern
movement
> > began. That probably has something to do with
it.
> >
> > The plot is related by a man on a banana
plantation.
> >
> > He never speaks outright and never refers to
himself
> > in the first person. A woman who appears to be
his
> > wife appears to be having an affair with a
neighbor.
> >
> > The narrative is objective, with little or
no
> > introspection offered on the narrator's
part.
> > Nuances
> > of chosen details are needed to decipher
his
> > thoughts
> > and feelings. Mood and scene and symbol
interweave
> > to
> > produce a decent work.
> >
> > Recommended if you don't mind a little
artsy-fartsy.
> >
> > There was an essay on the work by Roland
Barthes
> > included in the book. It was so off-target
and
> > bogus
> > as to be just about worthless.
> >
> > miker
> >
> >
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>
>
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-- Mark R. Harris 2122 W. Russet Court #8 Appleton WI 54914 (920) 470-9855 brokerharris@gmail.com
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